Carles Suriñach

Biography

Carlos Suriñach (or Carles Suriñach) i Wrokona (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkaɾləs suɾiˈɲak]; March 4, 1915 – November 12, 1997) was a Spanish-born composer and conductor.

Early life

Carlos Suriñach was born in Barcelona, Spain on March 6 of 1915. His Austrian-Polish mother was a house pianist, introducing him to music at a young age. He began playing the piano between ages 5–6 and started the formal study of music at around age 10. His father was involved in business as a stockbroker. He did not approve of Suriñach pursuing music and confided in their other son, who followed in his footsteps of business. He said that he was never serious about music but always loved it. Taught by his mother through age 14, he studied piano and music theory at the Caminals Academy of Music. He held conducting posts at the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona and the Gran Teatre del Liceu. He studied composition and orchestration under Enrique Morera, who was the director of Barcelona Conservatory. He then went to Madrid before moving to Germany, where he studied in Berlin with Max Trapp and Richard Strauss, taking five of Strauss' seminars. In 1944, he returned to Barcelona as the new conductor of the Barcelona Philharmonic Orchestra, where his opera El mozo que casó con mujer brava and "Passacaglia-Sinfonia" was premiered. By his mid 20s, he transformed from an inside composer to an outside composer, with the help of the opera house and conductor position.

Career

In late 1950, Carlos Suriñach emigrated to the United States in hopes of becoming a successful published composer. World War II had just recently ended and European publishers were frantically republishing previous music of the greats: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, etc. Full of ambition, he first stopped in New York to conduct an orchestra. In May 1951, a concert featuring the New York's most elite artists was held at the Museum of Modern Art. Works of his, Martha Graham, Israel's Batsheva, Jose Lemon, Balanchine, Doris Humphrey, and many others were all featured in the concert. His first lively premiere of Ritmo Jondo, repeated itself as requested by the audience. The composition was 6 minutes in duration, written for the clarinet, trumpet, xylophone, timpani, and 3 hand clappers. Carlos Suriñach's work was unknown until this point. The performance pivoted his career to an upward hill. Only a week after the concert, Doris Humphrey and Jose Limon came to his apartment to request and discuss using his compositions in a ballet. The successful collaboration was showcased in April 1953 at the Alvin Theatre. He wrote the 20 minute-long work for a broadway orchestra made of 23 musicians. Near after, he worked more closely with Doris Humphrey to create a second version of the ballet. He conducted numerous recordings with MGM Records. Years following the premiere of "Ritmo Jondo×Ritmo Jondo1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 27 tracks1Ritmo Jondo (Flamenco): Bulerias1:292Ritmo Jondo (Flamenco): Saeta2:593Ritmo Jondo (Flamenco): Garrotín1:351Bulerias2Saeta3Garrotin4Trois Chansons Et Danses Espagnoles (Three Spanish Songs And Dances): Larghetto; Allegro3:005Trois Chansons Et Danses Espagnoles (Three Spanish Songs And Dances): Andantino; Moderato2:456Trois Chansons Et Danses Espagnoles (Three Spanish Songs And Dances): Adagio; Allegro Tranquillo3:497Three Songs Of Spain: Allegro0:568Three Songs Of Spain: Andante2:139Three Songs Of Spain: Allegro0:4810Tres Cantos Bereberes (Three Berber Songs) : Allegro2:3311Tres Cantos Bereberes (Three Berber Songs) : Andante4:1112Tres Cantos Bereberes (Three Berber Songs) : Presto3:0613Tientos: Tiento De Queja - Plaintive2:0314Tientos: Tiento de Pena - Sorrowful2:5015Tientos: Tiento De Alegria - Joyful1:3616Tres Cantares: Allegro (El Cordobés Valeroso)2:0217Tres Cantares: Larghetto (El Marqués De Las Navas)2:4718Tres Cantares: Allegro Grazioso (Concionero Teatral "Danzas Y Bailes")2:2519Hollywood Carnival: Opening1:2220Hollywood Carnival: Charlie Chaplin0:4521Hollywood Carnival: Parade Of Beauties1:2422Hollywood Carnival: Epitaph To The Silent Movies1:3123Hollywood Carnival: Stereophonism0:5724Hollywood Carnival: Pasodoble In Technicolor1:26,” choreographer, Martha Graham, approached Suriñach. She had purchased a recording including one of his tracks, and had proceeded to choreograph an 8-minute piece without Suriñach's knowledge. Although this was illegal, he turned a blind eye after watching the piece. He was full of passion while watching the piece and admired Graham for her brilliance. In addition to using the single track, Graham requested to work with him, lengthening the piece and supplementing the orchestration. He composed three ballet scores Martha Graham: Embattled Garden (1958), Acrobats of God (1960), and The Owl and the Pussycat (1978). Martha Graham was awarded a Capezio Prize for "Acrobats of God×Acrobats Of GodFebruary 2023 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks1Acrobats Of God: Scene I: Fanfare3:142Acrobats Of God: Scene II: Interlude2:043Acrobats Of God: Scene III: Antique Dance2:224Acrobats Of God: Scene IV: Interlude2:195Acrobats Of God: Scene V: Bolero2:156Acrobats Of God: Scene VI: Interlude1:527Acrobats Of God: Scene VII: Minuet2:258Acrobats Of God: Scene VIII: Interlude1:069Acrobats Of God: Scene IX: Spanish Gallop5:0010The Owl And The Pussycat: Introduction1:2011The Owl And The Pussycat: "The Owl And The Pussy-Cat Went To Sea"2:4812The Owl And The Pussycat: "The Owl Looked Up To The Stars Above"2:1513The Owl And The Pussycat: "Pussy Said To The Owl, 'You Elegent Fowl'"1:5614The Owl And The Pussycat: "They Sailed Away, For A Year And A Day"2:1515The Owl And The Pussycat: "Dear Pig, Are You Willing To Sell For One Shilling Your Ring?"1:1116The Owl And The Pussycat: "And They Were Married Next Day"4:4517The Owl And The Pussycat: "The Dined On Mince, And Slices Of Quince"5:0818Embattled Garden: Allegro Ma Non Troppo4:4119Embattled Garden: 1. Tiento De Queja3:1120Embattled Garden: 2. Tiento De Pena2:4721Embattled Garden: 3. Tiento De Alegria5:03" and gave him a massive commission for his compositional work. It is also noteworthy that the production of "The Owl and the Pussycat" came together in a short six months. Another collaboration, Agathe's Tale, choreographed by Paul Taylor, was premiered in 1967. Surinach also composed Feast of Ashes for the Joffrey Ballet. Showcased on numerous occasions by the Louisville Symphony and Orchestra, under Rockefeller, the conductor's commissions were $1 million each. Reworking original electronic music, Suriñach composed "Chronic" the ballet, performed at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in 1973. His Harp Concerto was commissioned by Charles Royce for his daughter Maria. The premiere was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1978, with Nicanor Zabaleta playing the solo part. The concerto was then performed by Maria Royce at Interlochen. The Surinach Harp Concerto has not been played since. Traditional elements of flamenco, Spanish culture, and American-born music makes Suriñach a unique composer.
Carlos Suriñach became a U.S. citizen in 1959.
Surinach also orchestrated part of Isaac Albéniz's piano suite Iberia.
His notable students include Louis W. Ballard.
He worked with many choreographers including Doris Humphrey, Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Robert Coin, Antonio at the Ballets of Madrid, and more.
Surinach died in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, on November 12, 1997.
The BMI Foundation sponsors The Carlos Surinach Awards and Commissioning Programs, which recognizes talented emerging young musicians for their service to American music and funds the creation of new works by former winners of the BMI Student Composer Awards. The program was established by a bequest from Surinach. [1] Archived 2006-11-23 at the Wayback Machine
The final "ch" in Surinach's surname is pronounced "k", following ancient Catalan orthography (in modern orthography this phoneme is rendered with a "c"). The "ch" ending is commonly found in Catalan surnames, many of which retain this spelling. Also, before Surinach left Spain, his surname was spelled "Suriñach", with a tilde over the "n". He eventually dropped this tilde, but saw the original spelling used on concert posters whenever he visited he Spain. The standard Catalan spelling of his name would be Surinyach, or Surinyac [2].

Interviews

Carlos Surinach interview, February 15, 1987
Digital Collections, The New York Public Library. "(sound recording) Interview with Carlos Suriñach, February 27, 1979, (1979)". The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations. Retrieved September 29, 2020.